Railway-gate



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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I RAILWAY GATE. No. 556,211. PatentedMar. 10,1896.

INVENTOH$ 6 ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES.

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S. L. & W. S. REED.

RAILWAY GATE. I

No. 556,211. Patented Mar. 10, 1896.

N 1 a 1 1 1 A INVENTORS A TTOHNEYS WITNESSES. mm

ANDREW B GRAHAM. PHOTOLITHD. WASIHNGTONJ C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL Ti. REED, OF EBENSBURG, AND WILLIAM S. REED, OF JOHNSTOXVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,21 1, dated March 10, 1896.

Application filed July 18, 1395. Serial No. 556,403. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL L. REED, of Ebensburg, and WILLIAM S. REED, of Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Gates, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in railway-gates, such as are employed at crossings, &c., to close the roadway on the approach and passing of a train, and the obj ect of the invention is to provide a device of this character of a simple and inexpensive construction which shall be adapted to be actuated automatically by the train as it approaches the crossing in such a way as to close the gates, the device being so arranged that the gates are also automatically opened when the train has passed the crossing.

The invention contemplates certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of the various parts of the improved gate whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is made better adapted for use than other gates heretofore employed, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway-crossing gate constructed in accordance with our invention, the parts being shown in the positions occupied by them when the gate is open. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the several parts in the positions they assume when the gate is closed- Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the gate, the parts being shown in the position seen in Fig. l, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 50 00 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line y y in Fig.

showing the signal device carried by the gate for giving notice at the crossing of the approach of a train. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view showing the means employed for sea. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation curing the cord to one of the actuating devices located along the track. Fig. 7 is a View somewhat similar to Fig. 3, but showing in side elevation the embodiment of our improvements in a double railway-crossing gate.

Referring primarily to Figs. 1 to 6, 1 1 represent the track-rails of the line of railway mounted in the usual way on ties 2. The crossing-gate comprises a casing 3 arranged transversely across the road-bed at one side of the crossing to be controlled by said gate, and said casing forms a trough-like chamber adapted to house certain of the operative parts of the device, as will be hereinafter set forth.

At opposite ends of the casing are formed upwardly-extendin g posts or standards 5, arranged in pairs, one pair at each end of the casing, and between these posts or standards 5, at the upper parts thereof, are pivoted, as seen at 6 in the drawings, the gates 7, each consisting of a wooden bar of suitable length and strength, adapted when in its lowered position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, to extend across the road governed by the crossing-gate so as to close the same off and prevent vehicles thereon from crossing the railway-track. WVhen raised to a vertical position, as seen in full lines in Fig. 3, the road is left entirely free and unobstructed.

As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the posts or standards 5 and the gates 7 thereon are located at opposite sides of the railway-track, and in order to operate said gates automatically and in unison each gate 7 is provided at its short end with an eye or equivalent device 8, to which is secured the end 9 of a rope, chain or other flexible connection, extending down around a sheave or pulley 10, journaled loosely between the posts 5 of the pair,whence said connection extends around a grooved sheave 11, secured on the end of a shaft 12 journaled in the trough-like chamber 4 beneath the casing 3 and extending transversely of the railway-track, as seen in Fig. 4. The other end 14 of said flexible connection is carried upward and connected to a second eye 15 or equivalent device located on the longer arm of the gate 7, as seen in Fig. 3, whereby it will be seen that when the shaft 12 is turned in one direction the gate '7 will be raised, and

when said shaft is turned in the opposite direction the gate will be lowered, and, as seen in Fig. 4, the sheaves or pulleys 11 of the respective gateopcrating devices are fixed on opposite ends of the same shaft 12, so that both gates 7 will be correspondingly moved when said shaft is rotated.

The shaft 12 is journaled in brackets 16, depending from the roof of the trough-like chamber 1- wherein said shaft is mounted, and on the central portion of the shaft is fixed a grooved sheave or pulley 17, the periphery of which extends upward through an opening 18 in the casing 3 slightly above the same, and said sheave or pulley 17 serves to receive the bight 19 of an operating rope, chain or flexible connection, as clearly indicated in the drawings, said connection extending longitudinally of the railway-track about midway between the rails I1, and having one end 20 arranged to wind on the grooved periphery oi a sheave or pulley 21, mounted to turn on a vertical shaft or stud 22, projecting up from one of the ties 2 between the rails, the extremity of the connection being secured to said sheave 21 by means of a bolt or screw 23, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The other end 21 of the flexible connection extends along the track in the opposite direction to the end 26 and passes over a guide-sheave 25, mounted on a vertical stud on one of the ties, beyond which guide-sheave i t is passed around a small sheave or pulley 26, mounted on a vertical shatter stud 27, to which sheave 26 said connection is fixed by means of a screw or bolt 28, as shown in the detail view Fig. 6, said screw or bolt passing through the said connection and having its head arranged to clamp the same securely to the sheave.

From the sheave 26 the connection extends over a guide-sheave 26 to a sheave or pulley 30, similar to the sheave 26, around which it is also passed, being secured by means of abolt or screw 31, and from sheave 30 the said connection extends over a guide-sheave 32 to a sheave or pulley 33 pivoted on a vertical stud 31, to which sheave the extremity of the end 2i of the connection is secured by means of a bolt or screw The sheaves or pulleys 33, 30, 26, and 21 are provided, respeetively,with arms 36, 37, 3S,and 339, which extend outwardly from their peripheries a sullicient distance to lie closely adjacent to the track-rails in position to be engaged by the wheels of the locomotive and cars as the same approach the crossing, and said arms 36, 37, 38, and 39 form cams adapted to be operated by the train to open and close the crossing-gate.

The arms or cams $.36, 37, and 38 of the smaller sheaves 33, 30, and 26 connected to the end 2i of the flexible connection are arranged to stand when the gate is open, as seen in Figs. 1 and 23, at angles of sixty degrees from each other, the arm or cam 36 of the last sheave 3; being then in position to be engaged by the wheel of the locomotive, as seen in Fig. l, the arm or cam 37 of the second sheave 30 being arranged sixty degrees in the rear of cam 36, so that said cam 57 will not come into position to be engaged and operated by the locomotive until the cam 36 has made its movement and caused sheave 323 to make one-third of a rotation, thereby acting on the sheaves 30 and 26 through the medium of the connection to turn said sheaves onethird of a rotation, so as to bring the cam 37 on sheave 30 into operative position.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, a spring 36 is arranged to bear against the rear side of cam 36 so as to permit the same to be engaged and moved by a train backin g along the road. In this way as the flange of each wheel passes the said cam the spring 36 is compressed and acts after the passage of said wheel to throw back said cam into position to be engaged by the wheel when the train again moves forward, so that the gate maybe properly closed. The cam 37 having been thrown into operative position will be engaged by the locomo tive-wheel and also turned so as to cause its pulley 30 to make an additional one-third of a rotation, which by means of the flexible connection is communicated to sheave 20, so as to cause the same also to turn an additional third of a rotation so as to bring the cam 38 thereon into position to be engaged by the locomotive-wheel, whereby said sheave 26 is turned an additional one-third of a rotation.

By this means it will be seen that a gradual pull is exerted on the end 24 of the connection by the approaching train, so that the gate is slowly closed, thereby giving time for the passage beneath the gate of a train which may be in the act of crossing the track at the moment the locomotive strikes the first cam 36.

The end 20 of the connection being connected to the large pulley or sheave 21 will move the same on its shaft 22 to an extent equal to the motion imparted to the several cams 36, 37, and 38, whereby the cam 39 of said sheave 21. is moved from its inoperative position (seen in Fig. 1) to its operative position. (Seen in Fig. 2.) The gates being then closed and the train having passed the crossing the wheels of the locomotive engage the cam 39 of pulley 21 and move the same, together with the cams 36, 37, and 38, back to the position seen in. Fig. 1, thereby raising the gate quicklyto the position seen in full lines in Fig. 3.

lVhen desired, a number of springs 46 may be inserted in the end 2 1 of the connection at points between the sheaves 33, 30 and 26, as seen in Fig. 3, so as to permit a certain degree of slack between the several cams, whereby breakage of the parts will be prevented, and in some cases the horizontally-moving cams and sheaves may be replaced by treadle-levers and sheaves working in vertical planes.

One or both of the gate-bars 7 is provided with a circular toothed wheel or rack 41 loosely secured and adapted to turn on its pivot 6, and having its teeth 12 arranged to be engaged by a pawl or dog 43 mounted on the bar 7 and adapted to ride over said teeth when the gate-bar 7 is raised, but to engage said teeth 42 and move said wheel 41 when the gate-bar is lowered to close the gate, and the said teeth 42 of wheel 41 are arranged when said wheel is turned to engage the bent end 44 of a lever 45 pivoted on one of the standards 5 and provided with a hammer at its end adapted to strike and sound a bell 46 also mounted on the standard. In this way, when the gate-bars 7 are lowered by the approach of a train, the pawl 43 engages the teeth 42 of wheel 41 and rotates said wheel, and in the rotation thereof the teeth 42 engage the end44 of the lever 45 and vibrate the same, thereby sounding the gong 46, but when said gate-bars are raised to open the gate the pawl 43 rides freely over the teeth of wheel 41 and imparts no movement thereto. Therefore the bell or gong 46 is not sounded.

The crossing-gate constructed as above set forth is extremely simple and inexpensive and is not liable to become deranged or inoperative while in use. Furthermore, it is entirely automatic in its action and may be arranged so as to be adapted to be operated by the train when the same is at any desired distance from the crossing.

When the gate is to be employed on singletrack roads .or where it is to be operated by trains moving in opposite directions over the same track, the mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be duplicated, a set of cams 36, 37, 38 and 39 being then arranged on each side of each crossing, so as to operate the gate slowly, or the cam 39 may be set so as to permit of being operated by trains passing in both directions along the track, and when designed for use on double-track railways the chamber 4 and the shaft 12 therein are made to extend across both tracks, and one pair of standards 5 having a pivoted gate is mounted at each end of the casing, as will be readily understood.

In order to simplify the devices when the crossing is provided with double gates-as in the case of a very wide crossing, for instance we prefer to employ the construction shown in Fig. 7, wherein the casing 4 is made to extend across the space between the gates 7 7, which are usually located at opposite sides of the cross-road and operated by mechanism similar to the mechanism above described and shown in Figs. 1 to 6. The shafts 12 and 12 of the respective gates 7 and 7 are provided with pulleys or sheaves 47 on their ends, over which passes a band or belt 48, crossed, as indicated at 49, so that the movement of that shaft 12 or 12 which is directly actuated from the gate-operating mechanism is communicated to the corresponding shaft of the other gate to simultaneously operate the same.

From the above description of our improveis susceptible of considerable modification without material departure from its principles, and for this reason we .do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the exact construction and arrangement of the several parts herein set forth.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A railway-crossing gate, comprising a gate, a series of cams mounted adjacent to the track and adapted to be engaged and moved successively by a passing train, means operated from said cams, for closing the gate, each cam being arranged when moved, to partially close said gate and to throw the succeeding cam into position to be engaged and moved by the train, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a railway-track, of a casing extending transversely within the track, a shaft within the casing, a pivotallymounted gate, a sheave on the shaft, a flexible connection having each end fixed to the gate and passed around the sheave, a second sheave within the casing and arranged to turn with the first sheave, a second flexible connection connected with the second sheave, and a trip for said second connection, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a railway-track, of a pivoted gate, a transverse shaft connected with said gate, a sheave on the shaft, a flexible connection passed over the sheave and having its ends extending oppositely therefrom, a trip connected with one end, a sheave connected with the opposite end, and a trip fixed to said sheave, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a railway-track, of a casing extending transversely and below the same, a pivotally-mounted gate at each end of the casing, a shaft extending through the casing, a sheave at each end of the shaft, flexible connections for each gate having their ends fixed to the respective gates, the flexible connections being passed over the respective sheaves, an additional sheave midway of the shaft in the casing, a flexible connection wound around said additional sheave, a trip for one end of the connection, a sheave outside of the casing and connected with the remaining end of the connection, and a trip fixed to the said sheave, substantially as described.

5. A railway-crossing gate, comprising a gate, a plurality of cams mounted adjacent to the track and adapted to be engaged and moved successively by a passing train, and means actuated from the cams for operating the gate, said cams being each arranged when actuated to move the gate in the same direction, all but one of the cams being normally held out of operative position and each being moved into position to be engaged by a passing train by the movement of the preceding cam, substantially as set forth.

6. A railway-crossing gate, comprising a gate, a plurality of cams mounted adjacent ICC to the track on one side of the gate and adapted to be engaged and moved successivelyby a passing train, means actuated from the cams for operating the gate, said cams being each arranged when actuated to move the gate in the same direction, all but one of the cams being normally held out of operative position and each being moved into position to be engaged by a passing train by the movement of the preceding cam, and a cam mounted adjacent to the track on the opposite side of the gate and operatively connected with the first-mentioned cams and with the gate, said last-named cam beingnormally held out of operative position and being moved into operative position by the movement of the first-mentioned cams, and being adapted when engaged and moved by a passing train to move the gate in the direction opposite to that in which it Was moved by the first-named 2o cams, substantially as set forth.

SAMUEL L. REED. WILLIAM S. REED.

\Vitnesses to the signature of \Yilliam S.

Reed:

.1. W. WALTERS, F. S. SCHULTZ. 

